-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Fernando Torres ' highly-anticipated switch to English champions Chelsea was completed just before Monday transfer window closed in a deal that his former team Liverpool said had broken the British record .

Chelsea 's website reported that the Spain striker had signed a five-and-a-half-year contract , but did not disclose the fee -- which British media speculated would be about # 50 million -LRB- $ 80 million -RRB- .

However , it was still well short of the world-record $ 130 million that Spain 's Real Madrid paid English club Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 .

In another deal confirmed late on Monday , Benfica said that Brazil defender David Luiz had joined Chelsea in a deal worth $ 34 million that saw Serbian midfielder Nemanja Matic sign for the Portuguese club .

`` I am very happy with my transfer to Chelsea and I am looking forward very much to helping my new team-mates this season and for many years to come , '' 2010 World Cup winner Torres told the London side 's website .

`` Having played against Chelsea many times since coming to England , and in some very big games I will never forget , I know there are many great players here and I will work hard to win a place in the team . I hope I can score some important goals for the supporters to enjoy this season . ''

The 26-year-old scored 65 goals in 102 Premier League appearances for Liverpool after joining from Atletico Madrid in 2007 in a # 20 million deal , netting 81 in 142 games in all competitions .

Torres ' move followed the news that Liverpool had agreed a club-record fee for Newcastle 's England striker Andy Carroll , who handed in a transfer request in the afternoon after the 18-time English champions made an improved bid .

Just before the 2300 GMT deadline , Liverpool confirmed that the 22-year-old had signed a contract until 2016 . The fee was not disclosed but it reportedly surpassed the previous British record of # 33 million -LRB- $ 53 million -RRB- that Manchester City paid for Brazilian Robinho in 2008 .

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Chelsea 's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich has been relatively quiet in transfer market for the past two seasons , but has this time backed coach Carlo Ancelotti with two marquee signings as his club languish fourth in the table -- 10 points behind leaders Manchester United .

The London team also announced on Monday that the Chelsea FC plc made a loss of # 70.9 million -LRB- $ 113 million -RRB- for the year ended June 30 , 2010 .

`` The reduction in operating losses and increased sales in 2009-10 shows that we are moving in the right direction especially when viewed against the difficult macroeconomic environment , '' chief executive Ron Gourlay told Chelsea 's website .

`` The club is in a strong position to meet the challenges of UEFA ` financial fair play ' initiatives which will be relevant to the financial statements to be released in early 2013 . ''

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Carroll joined Uruguay World Cup striker Luis Suarez at Liverpool , with the 24-year-old completing his $ 36 million transfer from Dutch club Ajax earlier on Monday to become Kenny Dalglish 's first major signing in his second stint as manager .

The 24-year-old has scored 111 goals in 159 games for the Amsterdam side .

Another high-profile striker on the move Monday was Tottenham 's Robbie Keane , who has agreed a loan switch to London rivals West Ham until the end of this season .

The move is likely to become permanent should the Hammers , currently bottom of the EPL , avoid relegation to the second flight .

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Manager Avram Grant said after the 3-2 FA Cup win Nottingham Forest that he hoped the Republic of Ireland international would provide the spark to get the club away from the drop zone .

`` He is not just a good player , he is a good character that we need in the next 14 games , '' the Israeli told the UK Press Association .

Tottenham , who face AC Milan in the last 16 of the Champions League next month , were linked with a bid for Atletico Madrid 's Sergio Aguero .

But the Argentina striker has signed a new two-and-a-half-year contract extension with the Spanish side until 2014 and told the La Liga outfit 's official website : `` I 'm staying here because I want to . ''

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp would not confirm his interest in Aguero or other reported targets in Spain as he arrived for Monday 's training session , but told Sky Sports that former England defender Jonathan Woodgate would not be leaving on loan .

Woodgate , who has returned to fitness after long-term injury , is needed as defensive cover after captain Michael Dawson was banned for three matches after being sent off in the 4-0 FA Cup defeat to Fulham , while French fellow center-back Younes Kaboul needs an operation , said Redknapp .

United States international midfielder Michael Bradley has joined English club Aston Villa from German side Borussia Monchengladbach on loan until the end of this season .

Villa boss Gerard Houllier told reporters : `` We 've got to prepare for the future and Michael is 23 and a very hard-working midfielder who can score goals . ''

Villa allowed Irish midfielder Stephen Ireland to join Newcastle on loan for the rest of this season , almost six months after he arrived from Manchester City .

Houllier also said that the club had received no bids for England winger Ashley Young .

Turkey international striker Tuncay Sanli has moved from English Premier League side Stoke to Wolfsburg in a $ 7 million deal , the German club announced on their official website .

The Bundesliga side also announced the arrival of attacking midfielders Koo Ja-Cheoul of South Korea and Venezuelan Yohandry Orozco , plus Bayer Leverkusen 's Germany international striker Patrick Helmes and Czech midfielder Jan Polak .

The 21-year-old Koo -- who scored five goals in six matches at the recent Asian Cup -- signed a three-and-a-half-year deal from Korean side Jeju United , while 19-year-old Orozco signed from Venezuela 's Zulia FC until 2015 .

Stoke also allowed former Chelsea and Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen to join English rivals Fulham on loan , with the Iceland international having failed to win a regular place since his pre-season move from Monaco .

German rivals Schalke signed Iran international midfielder Ali Karimi , who worked with coach Felix Magath when they were both at Bayern Munich , plus clubless Greece striker Angelos Charisteas -- who scored the winning goal in the final of Euro 2004 .

Serie A leaders AC Milan confirmed on their website the signing of 34-year-old Italy defender Nicola Legrottaglie from league rivals Juventus , on a contract until June this year .

Italian champions Inter Milan have signed Japan leftback Yuto Nagamoto on loan from Cesena on loan for the rest of this season , with 20-year-old Italy international defender Davide Santon moving in the opposite direction .

The 24-year-old Nagamoto set up the only goal of the Asian Cup final against Australia on Saturday which sealed a record fourth title for the Blue Samurai .

Inter coach Leonardo has allowed Colombian defender Nelson Rivas to join Ukrainian side Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk on loan , with a view to a permanent deal .

Brazil-born Italy international striker Amauri has returned to Parma on loan from Italian rivals Juventus , who have replaced him with Cagliari 's Alessandro Matri .

English club Birmingham City signed Nigeria international Obafemi Martins in a six-month loan deal from Russian side Rubin Kazan , after the former Newcastle striker was granted a work permit .

Portugal international striker Liedson has returned to the country of his birth after joining Brazilian club Corinthians from Sporting Lisbon in a $ 2.9 million deal .

The 32-year-old qualified for Portuguese nationality in 2009 and played for his adopted nation at last year 's World Cup finals in South Africa .

Ecuador midfielder Jefferson Montero has swapped Spanish clubs after joining struggling Levante from Champions League hopefuls Villarreal on loan .

Dutch club Feyenoord have signed Denmark international striker Soren Larsen from French side Toulouse on loan for the rest of this season , along with Arsenal 's new 18-year-old Japanese forward Ryo Miyaichi and Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Marcel Meeuwis .

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NEW : Chelsea sign Spain striker Fernando Torres from English rivals Liverpool

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English clubs agree undisclosed fee which reportedly smashed British transfer record

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Chelsea also sign Brazil defender David Luiz from Portuguese club Benfica

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Liverpool complete club-record deal for Newcastle 's England striker Andy Carroll